Collapsible infant enclosure



Jan. 5, 1965 R. c. sco-rNEY m 3,163,370

COLLAPSIBLE INFANT ENCLOSURE Filed Aug. 28, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2 F/GI/ 46 Fla. 3

3 2 w 6. 3 2x232 L BY MAX/SM ATTORME'Y Jan. 5, 1965 R. c. SCOTNEY m COLLAPSIBLE INFANT ENCLOSURE:v

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 28. 1962 INVENTOR. RALPH C. SCOT/v67. HI

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,163,870 COLLAPdIBLE INFANT ENCLUSURE Ralph C. Scotney HI, 8310 W. Chester Pike, Upper Darby, Pa. Filed Aug. 28, 1962, Ser. No. 219,919 9 Claims. ((1 -99) In general, this invention relates to a new and improved collapsible infant enclosure and, more particularly, to a floorless infant enclosure which may be utilized with a standard adult mattress to form a playpen or bed for an infant.

In traveling with an infant, it is necessary to have a crib or playpen available so that the infant may rest or play therein. The necessities of travel require that the crib or playpen be'easily portable. Therefore, it would be desirable to have a single unit which could be useful as a crib or a playpen.

In the past, collapsible crib or playpen apparatus has been manufactured which did not have a floor, but was adapted to be placed on a mattress at the destination of the parent. This apparatus was usually deficient in that there was no provision for securing the apparatus to the bed. If the apparatus was not secured, the infant might be able to move it to the edge thereof and might possibly be injured by falling off the bed.

The collapsible playpens and cribs of the prior art were usually difficult to fold and unfold in that they required a split upper and lower ring. The split upper and lower ring was less rigid construction and additionally could not fold into a truly flat disposition.

It is the general object of this invention to avoid and overcome the foregoing and other difficulties of the prior art practices by the provision of a new and better collapsible infant enclosure.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new than an integral upper and lower ring 7 3,163,870 Patented Jan. 5, 1965 M I C FIGURE 8 is a cross sectional view taken along lines 83 in FIGURE 6. V

In FIGURE 1, there is shown a collapsible infant enclosure built in accordance with the principles of the present invention and generally designated by the numeral 10.

The enclosure It consists of side walls 12 and end Walls 14 made of a mesh material 16. This mesh material may be open weave nylon or the like.

The top of the collapsible enclosure 10 is formed of a one-piece rigid tubular ring. The tubular ring has side portions 18 and end portions 20. The tubular ring may be manufactured of steel, aluminum, or any other similar and better floorless enclosure for infants which may be readily attached to a mattress of any size.

A further object of this invention is to provide a new and simpler collapsible infant enclosure which may be easily changed from a fully closed to a fully opened position.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and better collapsible infant enclosure which utilizes one piece rigid top and bottom rings to provide a rigid construction in the open position.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and better collapsible infant enclosure which may be folded to a flat position.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings a form which is presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

FIGURE 1 is a side view of a collapsible infant enclosure in the open position built in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 1 in the folded position.

FIGURE 3 is an end view of the enclosure shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a partial cross sectional view of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 1 taken along lines 4-4.

FIGURE 5 is a partial cross sectional View taken along lines 5-5 in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged view of one joint of the enclosure shown in FIGURE 1 while in the locked position.

FIGURE 7 shows the joint of FIGURE 6 in the unlocked position.

material. The mesh side wall 12 is secured to the top side portion 18 by a cloth covering 22 which is sewn around the top side portion 18. The fabric covering 22 has a length substantially less than the length of the top side portion 18 and is placed centrally of the ends of the top side portion 18. The fabric portion 22 is useful also as a teething covering.

The end walls 14 are similarly sewn to a fabric covering 21 which envelops the entire top end portionsZtl. The fabric covering 21 also acts as a teething covering.

A second one-piece tubular ring is provided to form the bottom of the enclosure 10 which is similar to the tubular ring forming the top of the enclosure. The bottom tubular ring consists of side wall portions 24 and end wall portions 23. The side wall portions 24 have a protective fabric covering 26 therearound to which is attached the side walls 12. The fabric covering 26 runs the length of theside wall 24 except for a centrally located portion in which a fixed sleeve 28 is placed around the side wall portion 24.

Describing thepresent apparatus, only one side wall and one end wall will be discussed in detail. It will h understood that the opposite side and end walls are exactly similar to the side and end walls discussed.

Two oppositelydivergent retaining struts have their lower ends connected to the fixed sleeve 28 at pivots 34 and 36. The upper ends of the retaining struts 3d and 32 are connected to tubular guide sleeves 38 and 42 which are axially reciprocal along top side rail 18. The upper ends of the retaining struts 30 and 32 are pivotally connected to'the guide sleeves 38 and 42 by pivot screws 44 and 44 respectively. Spring biased pins 39 and 43 lock the guide sleeves 38 and 42 in place on the top side rail 18. A pair of locking struts 46 and 48 is provided to support retaining strut 39 in place. One end of upper locking strut 46 is pivotally connected by a rivet 54) to the center of retaining strut 30. The bottom end of lower locking strut 48 is pivotally secured by a rivet 52 to the lower side rail 24. The free ends of locking struts 46 and 48 are pivotally secured together and provided with a locking guide sleeve 54. The locking guide sleeve 54 rests on the pivotal joint in the open position of the enclosure by reason of a limit stop 56 integral with the upper locking strut 46. v

A similar part of locking struts 58 and 69 is utilized to support retaining strut 32. The upper locking strut 58 is pivotally secured by a rivet 62 to the center of retaining strut 32. The lower end of lower locking strut 6t). 7

is pivotally secured by a rivet 64 to the bottom side rail 24. The coupling between upper and lower locking struts 58 and 60 can best be seen with reference to FIG- URES 6, 7 and 8.

In FIGURE 6, the rigid position of locking struts S3 and 60 is shown. The locking struts 58 and 69 are pivotally connected together by a rivet 67. A guide sleeve 66, longitudinally movable along upper locking strut 58, is capable of enveloping locking struts 58 and 60 and rivet 67 at one time. In this position, the locking sleeve 66 rests against a limit stop 68 integral with upper locking so and s2 v.3 strut 58. When it is desired to fold the enclosure, the locking sleeve 66 is simply raised so as to free the pivot point 67 so that the struts 58 and 66 may be pivoted with respect to each other.

Two L-shaped brackets 79 and 74 are provided along one end rail 23 of the enclosure to hold the enclosure in place on a mattress or the like. L-shaped brackets 76 and 74 are pivotally connected to bottom end rail 23 by bolts 72 and 76 respectively. The L-shaped brackets 70 and 74 are then capable of 90 degree movement from a vertical to a horizzontal or folded position.

A pair of U-shaped brackets 73 and 84) is provided on the other end of the enclosure 10 to hold the enclosure in place on the mattress. The lJ-shaped brackets 73 and 8% are telescopically guided in bottom side rails 2d. In this way, the enclosure 10 may be p'aced on a mattress of any size by movement of the U-shaped brackets 78 and 30. This movement has been shown in phantom in FIGURE 1. The U-shaped brackets 78 and are capable of 90 degree rotative movement as shown in FIG- URE 3.

The U-shaped brackets 78 and 80 may be locked in place by appropriate set screws 82 which pass through bottom side rails 24.

To unfold the enclosure shown in FIGURE 1 so that it will attain the position shown in FIGURE 2, the following operations are necessary:

First, set screws 82 are loosened and brackets 78 and 80 are moved to a horizontal position. Additionally, brackets 70 and 74 are moved 90 degrees to a horizontal position.

The locking sleeves 54 and 66 are raised to free the pivot points between locking struts 46, 48 and 58, 60. The spring-biased pins 39 and 43 are then forced out of the locking holes in top side rail 18 so that guide sleeves 38 and 42 may move in opposite directions toward the ends of side rail 18. The locking struts 46 and 48 also move in the same direction as guide sleeve 38. The locking struts 58 and 60 move in the same direction as guide sleeve 42.

Since there is no fabric covering on guide rail 18 over the movement of travel of guide sleeves 38 and 42, the sleeves will move unimpeded to the ends of the rail. In so moving, the retaining struts 30 and 32 are pivoted to a horizontal position in oppositely divergent paths.

Thus, it can be seen that the objects of this invention have been accomplished by the provision of a new and better collapsible enclosure which may be placed on any size mattress to form a crib or playpen. The enclosure will remain fixed in place on the mattress so that the child will not be injured by movement thereof. After using the enclosure, one may simply and easily fold it into a fiat disposition with little or no effort.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A collapsible enclosure comprising one-piece rectangular top and bottom rails, collapsible fabric side and end Walls connecting said top and bottom rails, two pair of oppositely divergent retaining struts, said pairs of struts being disposed on opposite sides of said enclosure, each strut of a pair having one end pivotally secured to a side edge of said bottom rail intermediate the ends of said side edges, longitudinal guide means on side edges of said top rail, the other end of each strut of a pair being pivotally secured to said guide means, and extensible brackets 4 connected to said bottom rail adapted to be pivoted from a horizontal position to a vertical position below said bottom rail.

2. A collapsible enclosure comprising one-piece rectangular top and bottom rails, collapsible fabric side and end walls connecting said top and bottom rails, two pair of oppositely divergent retaining struts, said pairs of struts being disposed on opposite sides of said enclosure, each strut of a pair having one end pivotally secured to a side edge of said bottom rail intermediate the ends of said side edges longitudinal guide means on side edges of said top rail, the other end of each strut of a pair being pivotally secured to said guide means, and locking means for locking said retaining struts when said top and bottom rails are separated from each other.

3. The collapsible enclosure of claim 2 wherein said locking means includes pivotal locking struts connected between said bottom rail and said retaining struts.

4. The collapsible enclosure of claim 3 wherein said locking struts include at least two pivoting struts pivotaily connected at one end to each other and having their opposite ends pivotally secured to said bottom rail and said retaining strut, and in line means for locking said pivotal struts in place when their longitudinal axes coincide.

5. The collapsible enclosure of claim 4 wherein said in line means include a locking sleeve slidably mounted on said pivotal strut connected to said retaining strut, and limit stop means adapted to prevent movement of said locking sleeve when said sleeve is adjacent the connecting point between said pivotal struts.

6. The collapsible enclosure of claim 2 wherein said guide means include guide sleeves mounted for longitudinal movement along said top rail side edges, and means for pivotally securing said retaining struts to said guide sleeves.

7. The collapsible enclosure of claim 6 wherein said fabric side walls are only connected to said top rail side edges at a point intermediate said guide sleeves when said top rail is at a point of maximum separation from said bottom rail.

8. A collapsible enclosure in accordance with claim 2 wherein extensible brackets are connected to said bottom rails, said brackets comprising a straight portion telescopically received within the side edges of said bottom rail and an L-shaped portion depending from an exposed end of said straight portion, said straight portion being pivotable about an axis extending coaxially of the side edge of said bottom rail, and locking means for locking said brackets to said bottom rail side edges.

9. A collapsible enclosure in accordance with claim 2 including L-shaped brackets pivotally connected at one end thereof to one end of said bottom rail.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,964,282 6/34 Xiques 5-95 2,242,311 5/41 Lucey 5-82 2,375,225 5/45 Herbert 5327 2,542,618 2/51 Benet 5-98 2,620,490 12/52 Bruce 595 2,960,993 11/60 Holmstrom -45 FOREIGN PATENTS 682,102 11/52 Great Britain.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Examiner. 

1. A COLLAPSIBLE ENCLOSURE COMPRISING ONE-PIECE RECTANGULAR TOP AND BOTTOM RAILS, COLLAPSIBLE FABRIC SIDE AND END WALLS CONNECTING SAID TOP AND BOTTOM RAILS, TWO PAIR OF OPPOSITELY DIVERGENT RETAINING STRUTS, SAID PAIRS OF STRUTS BEING DISPOSED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID ENCLOSURE, EACH STRUT OF A PAIR HAVING ONE END PIVOTALLY SECURED TO A SIDE EDGE OF SAID BOTTOM RAIL INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS OF SAID SIDE EDGES, LONGITUDINAL GUIDE MEANS ON SIDE EDGES OF SAID TOP RAIL, THE OTHER END OF EACH STRUT OF A PAIR BEING PIVOTALLY SECURED TO SAID GUIDE MEANS, AND EXTENSIBLE BRACKETS CONNECTED TO SAID BOTTOM RAIL ADAPTED TO BE PIVOTED FROM A HORIZONTAL POSITION TO A VERTICAL POSITION BELOW SAID BOTTOM RAIL. 